SHANKAR
✨

'Why are you doing this Shanky? Stop acting like a kid and go home!!!' Kevin shouted when I chose to ignore his ranting and continued typing on my laptop. The man is on a video call, almost 7800+ miles away, sitting there in India and bleeding the hell out of my ears since last few days.

'Chuck it Kev!!! You concentrate on praying to Lord Tirupathi and get us the Prasadam...maybe that would put some sense into this idiot's brains!!!' Simi commented sarcastically while typing something on her laptop.

We were on a video conferencing call. Simi was in her office, Kevin had gone to India for his yearly trip and currently was in Tirupathi and I...Well...I was in my office trying to well. Trying!!! Being the keyword. Because since last 1 hour these two were eating my brains. Otherwise Tom and Jerry had suddenly turned into Chandler and Joey and were teaming up against me. And I was beyond pissed.

'Would you both shutup? Else I'll get off the bridge call!!!' I said when Kevin said
'Coward!!!' and Simi rolled her eyes saying 'Looser!!!' and I shouted 'Heyyyy!!! That's enough!!! Neither am I coward nor a looser. I just...I...'

'You don't wanna face it!!! Accept it!!! Why are you not going home and talking to her you dumbass !!!' Kevin yelled when I narrowed my eyebrows saying

'Arent you dressed up to go to temple? Maybe you need to cleanse your tongue just like your body!!! Moron!!!' I shouted when for the first time miracle happenes because Simi supported Kevin saying

'He is not a moron!!! You are a moron!!! Infact you are not just a moron...you are stupid, dumb, brainless moron!!! Stop blaming him and you get your brains working. You are ignoring her you idiot!!! That too from last ten days. I mean ...yeah ok fine she said things which were so wrong but dude... she's pregnant. Have some leverage there. She's allowed to have mood swings. She's allowed to get angry but you..you...have to understand from where she's coming from. She's having her own insecurities Shanky!!! She's had a painful past. Please handle her with care!!!' she said and I don't know why I didn't have anything to say.

'Shanky look!!! We get irritated when we just get fever or have a running nose. Women go through major changes in matter of days and months when they are pregnant. Their body shape changes day after day, their sense of smell varies, the food they love, their baby may not so they are always annoyed or irritated, sense of concentration decreases and your mind is always fuzzy, you want to pee a lot, you want to eat a lot but you end up vomiting more than that....from tender breasts to always feeling tired and sleepy, from wanting to eat to throwing up most of the time, from being emotional to being an angry timebomb...first trimester is crazy Shankar. And again all this would also vary because every pregnancy is different. Please try and understand her. It's not her...it's her crazy hormones.' he said and I looked at Kevin.

'Trust me!!! Although I am a pediatrician but I'm also an MBBS...these are basics!!!' he said and I closed my eyes taking a deep breath. Suddenly her words hit my ears again. Although she said them but somewhere I knew she might not have meant them. Maybe I need to talk to her. Right!!! Maybe!!!

After a lot of self conversation I decided to dial her number but as I was on the floor, I heard the ring of her phone and I turned around to notice it was somewhere on the floor. Hold on??? Is she here??? At the office??? But I asked her to work from home. Even better...take a break. Then what is she doing here? I walked towards her cubicle and noticed her bag and her belongings. She had put her mobile phone on charging. That means she's here in office.

Not one thing!!! One thing this woman can't do if I'm asking her. Ughhh!!!

I turned around and asked the person sitting next to her about her whereabouts and her answer left me fuming. Apparently Madam has gone to have a coffee break with Fiza and that Dustbin!!! Like seriously??? Is he her bodyguard??? Accompanies everywhere??? What is he??? Some sort of a chained puppy following its master.

I was so pissed that I went back to my cabin and started taking a stroll. I pulled a cigarette out and took a few drags but nothing really helped. Why does that Dustbin boy stick to her? Especially now that he knows that she's MY WIFE!!!

Huhhh!!! I don't care!!!
I am just going to sit here and...

And... work.

Yes!!! I don't care.

✨

'Can I have a cup of Americano?' I asked when the person at the cafeteria blinked multiple times seeing me at the cafeteria. I narrowed my eyebrows seeing him jaw dropped but rolled my eyes saying

'Yup!!! It's me!!! Shankar Nayak!!! Any issue dude??? Can you make it quick please??? My head is aching!!!' I said and the man bobbed his head so fast that I wondered if he was a human or a doll. With my peripheral vision I saw her talking to Fiza and that Dustbin. Why is she sitting next to him? She can sit next to Fiza...away from him...miles away from him.

That's when Fiza whispered something to her and she turned around and looked in my direction.

Cover!!! Cover!!! I need a cover!!!
I immediately took a newspaper from the stand and took a seat in a corner and covered my face with it. However I slowly peeped through it from the corner. She was curiously looking at me. She looked sad and her face had a longing expression. Is she not eating well? Did she miss me?

Suddenly I saw her standing up.

Woahhhhh!!! She's coming here? Is she coming here?? Is my breath ok??? Am I smelling good??? My hair...oops is it ok??? I will talk to her properly if she comes here. Kevin and Simi are right. She is the pregnant one. She needs that leverage. Although I was conscious about my looks I was super excited to talk to her after so many days. Just when I was waiting for her to come to me I noticed how she lost her balance and suddenly Dustin wrapped his arms around her waist. My anger went from zero to hundred seeing his hands around her waist...her stomach. I wanted to punch that idiot so hard that he would loose all his teeth.

She smiled and thanked him. Wait a minute??? She smiled at him???

I don't know why my anger went sky high and I started marching out of the cafeteria. I was expecting her to follow me but she absolutely was in her own world giggling and smiling at that junkyard fellow. I didn't care anymore. I stormed into the elevator and rushed back to my cabin.

She tried reaching me out post that but I ignored her. I asked no one to disturb me. I was in DND mode the entire day. Hoping she would leave early was my stupidity. This lady was stubborn and she stayed back even though the clock was ticking nine. And then she does something insane.

She barges into my cabin unannounced, yells at me, curses me, cries and fights with me leaving me completely confused. The woman who wanted me to stay away from her is now asking me why was I staying away from her.

I mean!!! I know she's pregnant but I don't think amnesia is a part of pregnancy. She can't just conveniently forget what she claimed few days ago. That's cheating.

And then she starts the waterworks.
Damn it!!! I can't see her in tears. I wanna destroy the entire world when I see her cry. So I tried talking to her softly. I tried explaining her and that's when she started coming closer and that's when I noticed her baby like face. Her cheeks turned pink and her lips were tomato red as she was crying and complaining like a baby. Her nose looked like a cherry...how can someone look so cute even while they are crying.

She was about to tell me something about our wedding day when my phone started ringing and I noticed it was Jack. I would have ignored it but he was dialing from the private number. That was the number we were using to discuss personal matters. The important ones. Let's say...the unofficial ones!!!

I excused myself and picked the call and what Jack said fuelled my anger ten folds.

'Sir!!! Meet!!! He's in NY!!! And he is here with a fake passport and forged identity. But our cameras caught him. NY police is also looking out for him because of the fraudulent passport but seems the man is absconding.' Jack broke the bomb saying

'But the man... he was in touch with Came-'

'No Sir!!! Looks like they had a fallout. Ms Camellia would never do the stupidity to go full fledged criminal mode on. She knows she can still try to fight for Shine's custody in the court, also she's been to the asylum in the past, she's also had a case of adultery against her, she'll never take that risk but with Meet...he had limited cash, his bank accounts were sealed and also he has multiple cases registered against him. He must have lost his patience now and decided to you know...go all in!!!' Jack said making my insides churn. I was scared. This time I was scared for Anamika. She was pregnant.

'Shit!!! Anamika!!!' I whispered when the next piece of information that Jack unveiled made me loose my mind. He informed me how she did not inform anyone, avoided taking the car or the driver and decided to come to office via a bus!!! A bus??? Seriously???

What if something or what if Never-'

That's when she walked into the balcony and I lost my calm. I yelled at her, screamed and shouted. Damn it!!! I know I must try to control my anger around her but if she does such stupidities who wouldn't loose their mind. After a dirty showdown she left my cabin. I didn't want to hurt her but she risked her security. That's when Jack said

'Sir!!! I know you are upset with Mam!!! But please understand it's not her fault. I know I would never have any rights to interfere into your personal space but Sir...Mam doesn't even have the slightest clue about Meet or his threatening messages or phone calls that we have been hacking and dodging since couple of days. She probably has forgotten about his existence but your behaviour would definitely hurt her. Please handle her with care. She may not speak or complain but she has been missing you a lot Sir!!! My men and I have been observing her. She's not herself!!!' Jack said and I closed my eyes.

Damn it!!! Why do I loose my calm with her always. Why can't I talk to her patiently.

'Also Sir!!! Our team is on a hunt for that bastard!!! We are looking every nook and corner of the city. One thing we would recommend is, please drop her home personally tonight and infact ask her to stay at home until we find that jerk!!!' I hummed and disconnected the call.

Jack is right. I must deal with her carefully. If she gets to know about Meet, she will get worried. She shouldn't be stressed out. Right.

Maybe I could take her for a drive. Maybe an ice-cream date. She loves sweets!!! I smiled recalling how she kept eating lots of Gulab Jamuns during our wedding. Cute.

I walked out of my cabin only to find her unavailable in her cubicle. Her phone was still kept on charging. Looks like it's high time I buy her a new phone. This one's always on charging. I asked the security personnel who confirmed she went downstairs. I walked towards the reception desk but the receptionist said that their duties switched few minutes ago and she didn't see anyone.

I walked towards the garden area and didn't find anyone. I started taking a walk trying to look for her and when I did not find her even after half an hour. I started getting worried. The cabs had arrived for folks to be dropped home and I noticed her name was also on the list. Means she requested for a cab!!! Then why isn't she here??? I called the transport department and double confirmed. No cabs had taken her along.

Then where is she???

✨

It's been two and half hours that she's missing. She's not at home, neither in office...her belongings were left at the cubicle. Unfortunately, she had not even carried her phone along which had the tracker installed. What if she's...

No!!! She's fine!!!

Nothing's happened to her.

Suddenly my phone started ringing and Jack said 'Sir!!! We had managed to track Meet's location which is now switched off but Sir...his last location was found near our office building!!!'

That piece of information was enough to run shivers down my spine.

No!!! This can't happen!!!

✨

'That...that's him Sir!!! That's him!!!' said the facilities head when Jack asked

'How can you be so sure?' he said that

'Although the man wore the uniform which our staff wears, this cap...this is unusual Sir!!! Our staff doesn't wear this kind of cap and also when we have vehicles to load the junk, why is he carrying it on his shoulder and leaving the office premises???' he said and Jack nodded saying

'I agree Sir!!! It doesn't make sense!!! Plus the bag doesn't seem usual. It seems to huge and too big. He must have managed to take Mam along with him in that plastic bag!!!'

When the facilities head said 'God!!! I hope she's fine!!!' and the next second I lunged at him grabbing his collars. My eyes went red in anger and my entire body was shaking as I shouted

'Why wouldn't she not be fine??? She is fine!!! She will be fine!!! She is Mrs Shankar Indira Nayak!!! You get that??? No stray dog like Meet Singh can hurt my wife. She's strong. She's very strong!!!' I said as tears leaked out of my eyes.

I turned around and slapped the security personnel at duty grabbing his collars asking where the heck was he while this happened and the man hesitantly said he had stepped away for dinner. I wanted to punch him hard, because he knew that the guards had scheduled swap timings and the first one at duty cannot leave until the next one would arrive yet they broke the protocols. I was fuming.

Kevin and Simi had arrived and were trying to calm me down but my anger was uncontrollable. I would burn this world if that Meet would even pluck my wife's hair strand.

'Look for every nook and corner of this city!!! Every station, every hotel...get every single CCTV footage checked on the roads... atleast some clue...we should be able to get some clue!!!' said the police officer trying to help Jack's team with this case.

✨

8 hours...

It had been 8 hours since Anamika had gone missing.

We were expecting phone calls, threats, demands...But nothing. No phone calls, nothing and here with every passing minute my heart was ready to explode.

That's when the officer's phone rang and he said 'Excellent!!! That should help!!!'.

After disconnecting the call he said
'One of the CCTV cameras at the fuel station seems to have captured his image. The person who refilled his vehicle suspected his behaviour. Noticed someone sleeping in the backside of his car but the kidnapper seems to be quite fast. He immediately left from there however his vehicle number has been captured and police is now tracking the vehicle!!!' he said. Then he looked at me.

'Dont worry Mister Nayak!!! We will find your wife!!! We will catch him!!!' said the officer when I shot him a look saying

'I hope you do!!! I really hope you do!!! Because if I find him before your team does...Don't expect me to follow any laws!!!' I said carelessly when the officer said

'Sir you cannot-'

'Oh you have no clue about what I CANNOT and I ....CAN!!! I WILL!!!' I said when the police officer gulped silently.

The bastard tried playing with fire...I'm going to burn down his existence into ashes.

Meet!!! Meet your end!!!

Your destruction is on its way!!!

Wait for it!!!